ll ships which arrive at the ports,
no matter whence they come; therefore the commissary shall do so,
if he is in a place where it can be done, and shall ask the principal
officers of the ship the questions sent with these instructions. If
he is unable to do so in person, he will entrust the matter to the
parish priest or the vicar who resides in the port, sending him
a copy of the questions to be asked. He will notify us as to the
ports chiefly frequented by ships, where it will be best to keep
persons with a special commission from us; and will name some of the
persons to whom this commission may be given. When the commissary
has succeeded in visiting the ship at its station in the harbor,
the captain, master, or clerk, or some of the passengers will find
it necessary to go ashore, to the city; then, while the supplies
most needed are being procured, he will examine them. In all this
it is very important to avoid carelessness. This is understood only
of ships which belong to Spaniards and come from Nueva Spana, Piru,
or Panama, or from Portuguese India, or from other regions.

26. One of the most important reasons for inspecting the ships is the
books, especially the boxes which come as cargo. The royal officials
and magistrates of his Majesty who reside in the ports shall send
the said boxes to the commissary of the Inquisition, without opening
them or taking any books out of them. The commissary shall open them
and examine the books, comparing them with the general catalogue;
and after seizing such as he finds are prohibited, he will give
the rest to the owners To this end the commissary shall make known
to the royal officials of the city, and to those who reside in the
ports, the ordinance which accompanies this paper; and this applies
even when the said boxes of books have been previously examined by
another inquisitor.

27. Whenever a ship departs from the islands, the commissary must send
replies to the letters which are written to him, and information of
what is occurring there.

28. Finally, we recommend the examination of these instructions--which,
although so full in their provision for all contingencies, properly
apply to ordinary occurrences, with a few clauses for which provision
had already been made. The most difficult task, therefore, will be to
examine them carefully at first, and to bear in mind that any doubtful
cases are to be decided by the commissary as shall be necessary,
since he is so far